Reality TV star is coming to San Francisco to follow a less typical path to studying law

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Kim Kardashian West and Kourtney Kardashian attend the amfAR Gala New York 2019 at Cipriani Wall Street on February 6, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images)

Kim Kardashian West and Kanye West attend the Travis Scott Astroworld Tour at The Forum on December 19, 2018 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Rich Fury/Forum Photos via Getty Images)

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Kanye West and Kim Kardashian West attend the opening night of the new musical 'The Cher Show' on Broadway at Neil Simon Theatre on December 03, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Dominik Bindl/Getty Images)

(L-R) Kanye West, Kim Kardashian West, Young Thug, 2 Chainz and Kesha Ward attend the the Versace fall 2019 fashion show at the American Stock Exchange Building in lower Manhattan on December 02, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Roy Rochlin/Getty Images)

Kim Kardashian West attends Tiffany &Co. Celebrates 2018 Tiffany Blue Book Collection, THE FOUR SEASONS OF TIFFANY at Studio 525 on October 9, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)

(L-R) What Goes Around Comes Around Co-Founder Gerard Maione, Kim Kardashian West, and What Goes Around Comes Around Co-Founder Seth Weisser attend Christie's x What Goes Around Comes Around 25th Anniversary Auction Preview at What Goes Around Comes Around on August 21, 2018 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Michael Kovac/Getty Images for What Goes Around Comes Around)

Kim Kardashian West attends the Beautycon Festival LA 2018 at the Los Angeles Convention Center on July 15, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by David Livingston/Getty Images)

Kim Kardashian West at her first-ever KKW Beauty and Fragrance pop-up opening at Westfield Century City in Los Angeles on June 20th, 2018 (Photo by Presley Ann/Getty Images for ABA)

(L-R) Kylie Jenner, Kim Kardashian and Kanye West attend the Louis Vuitton Menswear Spring/Summer 2019 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on June 21, 2018 in Paris, France. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)

Chef, MAC Spokesperson Padma Lakshmi, Producer and Actress Lala Anthony and Founder and CEO, KKW Kim Kardashian attend an intimate dinner hosted by The Business of Fashion to celebrate its latest special print edition 'The Age of Influence' at Peachy's/Chinese Tuxedo on May 8, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Business of Fashion)

Kim Kardashian attends the Heavenly Bodies: Fashion & The Catholic Imagination Costume Institute Gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 7, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images for New York Magazine)

Kim Kardashian attends Harper's BAZAAR Celebration of "ICONS By Carine Roitfeld" at The Plaza Hotel presented by Infor, Laura Mercier, Stella Artois, FUJIFILM and SWAROVSKI on September 8, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Harper's BAZAAR)

(L-R) Kim Kardashian West and Kendall Jenner attend the Daily Front Row's Fashion Media Awards at Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown on September 8, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images for Daily Front Row)

Kim Kardashian speaks onstage during the 2017 Forbes Women's Summit at Spring Studios on June 13, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)

Kim Kardashian West and Khloe Kardashian attend the NBCUniversal 2017 Upfront on May 15, 2017 in New York City. attend the NBCUniversal 2017 Upfront on May 15, 2017 in New York City. (ANGELA WEISS/AFP/Getty Images)

Kim Kardashian West attends the "Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garcons: Art Of The In-Between" Costume Institute Gala at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 1, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images For US Weekly)

(L-R) Kourtney Kardashian, Kim Kardashian and Cher attend the premiere of 'The Promise' at the Chinese theatre in Hollywood, on April 12, 2017. (CHRIS DELMAS/AFP/Getty Images)

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West attend the Kanye West Yeezy Season 4 fashion show on September 7, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Yeezy Season 4)

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West arrive for the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards August 28, 2016 at Madison Square Garden in New York.(ANGELA WEISS/AFP/Getty Images)

Kim Kardashian attends Famous by Kanye West a private exhibition event at Blum And Poe, Los Angelesat Blum & Poe on August 26, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Rachel Murray/Getty Images for Kanye West)

(L-R) Kim Kardashian West and Kanye West arrive for the Gala to celebrate the Vogue 100 Festival at Kensington Gardens on May 23, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Jeff Spicer/Getty Images)

Kim Kardashian attends the De Grisogono Party at the annual 69th Cannes Film Festival at Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc on May 17, 2016 in Cap d'Antibes, France. (Photo by Andreas Rentz/Getty Images)

Kim Kardashian (L) and Kanye West attend the "Manus x Machina: Fashion In An Age Of Technology" Costume Institute Gala at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 2, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images for People.com)

TV personality Kim Kardashian and model Naomi Campbell take a selfie during the Los Angeles launch of "Naomi" at Taschen Beverly Hills on April 28, 2016 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Taschen)

Rapper Kanye West (L) and television personality Kim Kardashian attend the Givenchy fashion show during Spring 2016 New York Fashion Week at Pier 26 at Hudson River Park on September 11, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)

(L-R) Kanye West and Kim Kardashian-West attend the Rihanna Party at The New York Edition on September 10, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for EDITION)

(L-R) Pharrell Williams, Helen Lasichanh, Kim Kardashian and Kanye West attend the 2015 CFDA Fashion Awards at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center on June 1, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)

Kim Kardashian signs copies of her new book "Kim Kardashian West: Selfish" at Barnes & Noble, 5th Avenue on May 5, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)

Kanye West (L) and Kim Kardashian attend the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images)

Honoree Kim Kardashian attends TIME 100 Gala, TIME's 100 Most Influential People In The World on April 21, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images for TIME)

US reality TV star Kim Kardashian holds her daughter (C) in her arms next to her rapper husband Kanye West (R) as they walk close to the Geghard Monastery in Armenia on April 9, 2015. (KAREN MINASYAN/AFP/Getty Images)

Kim Kardashian and Kris Jenner attend the Lanvin show as part of the Paris Fashion Week Womenswear Fall/Winter 2015/2016 on March 5, 2015 in Paris, France. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)

TV personality Kim Kardashian raises a toast for the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation and World AIDS Day at The Abbey on December 1, 2014 in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)

Television personality Kim Kardashian arrives at the Tao Nightclub at The Venetian Las Vegas to celebrate her 34th birthday on October 25, 2014 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)

Kim Kardashian attends the Valentino show as part of Paris Fashion Week - Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2014-2015 at Hotel Salomon de Rothschild on July 9, 2014 in Paris, France. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)

American reality TV star Kim Kardashian (C) and American singer Kanye West (R) leave their residence in Paris on May 23, 2014, ahead of their wedding. Kanye West and his bride-to-be Kim Kardashian lunched on May 23 at a French chateau owned by iconic designer Valentino, kicking off a marathon celebration expected to culminate in the wedding of the year. (KENZO TRIBOUILLARD/AFP/Getty Images)

Kanye West and Kim Kardashian stroll through rue Darboy in the 11th district near Belleville as they shop on May 21, 2014 in Paris. (KENZO TRIBOUILLARD/AFP/Getty Images)

Kim Kardashian attends the Stephane Rolland show as part of Paris Fashion Week Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2014 on January 21, 2014 in Paris, France. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)

Television personality Kim Kardashian arrives at the Tao Nightclub at The Venetian Las Vegas to celebrate her 33rd birthday on October 26, 2013 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images,)

Italian designer Riccardo Tisci (L) and US socialite Kim Kardashian attend the 'Mademoiselle C' cocktail party at the Pavillon Ledoyen on October 1, 2013 in Paris. (FRANCK FIFE/AFP/Getty Images)

Kim Kardashian attends the DuJour Magazine Launch Party Hosted by Jason Binn, Christy Turlington Burns and Bruce Weber at Capitale on September 5, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for DuJour Magazine)

Kim Kardashian launches the US weight management product QuickTrim to the UK market at St Pancras Renaissance Hotel on May 18, 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Tim Whitby/Getty Images)

(L-R) Jonathan Cheban, Kim Kardashian and Jason Binn attends A Night of Style & Glamour to welcome newlyweds Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries at Capitale on August 31, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)

Reality TV star Kim Kardashian and New Jersey Nets forward basketball player Kris Humphries kiss on the red carpet of the Kardashian Kollection Launch Party on August 17, 2011 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)

Musician Elton John and TV Personality Kim Kardashian attend the 19th Annual Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Awards Viewing Party at the Pacific Design Center on February 27, 2011 in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images for EJAF)

Designer Kim Kardashian after the runway at the Bebe - Kardashian Fall 2010 Fashion Show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Style360 on February 16, 2010 in New York City. (Photo by Henry S. Dziekan III/Getty Images)

TV personality Kim Kardashian and Joan Collins backstage at the Heart Truth Fall 2010 Fashion Show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at The Tent at Bryant Park on February 11, 2010 in New York City. (Photo by Brian Ach/Getty Images for IMG)

New Orleans Saints player Reggie Bush sits with Kim Kardashian on the court during the game between the San Antonio Spurs and the New Orleans Hornets at New Orleans Arena on January 18, 2010 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

Media and reality show personality Kim Kardashian attends the Sean "Diddy" Combs' Birthday Celebration Presented by Ciroc Vodka at The Grand Ballroom at The Plaza Hotel on November 20, 2009 in New York City. (Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images for Bad Boy Entertainment)

TV personalities Kim Kardashian (R) and her mother, Kris Jenner visit the eBay Holiday Store on November 19, 2009 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for eBay)

Television personality Kim Kardashian is interviewed as she arrives at the grand opening of Pink's Hot Dogs at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino September 18, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Kim Kardashian attends the Tracy Reese Spring 2010 fashion show at the Salon at Bryant Park on September 14, 2009 in New York, New York. (Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for IMG)

TV personality Kim Kardashian and Reggie Bush of the New Orleans Saints backstage at the Tracy Reese Fall 2009 fashion show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in the Salon at Bryant Park on February 16, 2009 in New York City. (Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images)

Sisters Kourtney Kardashian (L) and Kim Kardashian (R) arrive for the 2009 Moves Magazine Super Bowl Party at The Venue Club on January 28, 2009 in St. Petersburg, Florida (Photo by Tim Boyles/Getty Images)

Television personality Kim Kardashian arrives at the Launch Party for the New BlackBerry 8330 Pink Curve xxclusively from Verizon Wireless on the 15th Anniversary of Intermix on August 27, 2008 at Intermix on Robertson, Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

Television personality Kim Kardashian (R) plays bocce ball as bocce instructor Jackie Savitt looks on at Rao's at Caesars Palace on August 16, 2008 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Kardashians are filming an episode of their television show, "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" at the resort. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Kim Kardashian arrives at the Hancock premiere at Vue cinema in Leicester Square on June 18, 2008 in London, England. (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)

Television personality Kim Kardashian celebrates the launch of the new fall Bongo collection at the Los Angeles Fashion Mart on April 7, 2008 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images)

NFL player Reggie Bush (L) and TV personality Kim Kardashian on the street during the 2008 Sundance Film Festival on January 19, 2008 in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

Khloe Kardashian, former Olympian Bruce Jenner, T.V. personality Kimberly Kardashian and Kris Jenner arrive at the Premiere of the new reality show "Keeping up with the Kardashians" held at the Pacific Design Center on Octorber 9,2007 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/ Getty Images)

Socialite Kim Kardashian attends the launch of Lorraine Schwartz's Diamond Monkey Collection at the Monkey Bar, June 20, 2007 in New York City. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Getty Images)

Socialite Kim Kardashian arrives at the Opening of the Melrose Place Diesel Store on May 30, 2007 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Michael Buckner/Getty Images)

Actress Kim Kardashian attends party by HELIO celebrating Fall Out Boy and the Grammy Awards at the Roosevelt on February 9, 2007 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Chad Buchanan/Getty Images)

Kim Kardashian poses backstage at the Nicole Romano Fall 2007 fashion show at Capitale during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week February 4, 2007 in New York City. (Photo by Mat Szwajkos/Getty Images)

Stylist Kim Kardashian arrives at the kick off party for MTV's "Twentyfourseven" at Area on November 29, 2006 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Michael Buckner/Getty Images)

Celebrity stylist Kim Kardashian (C) with her sisters arrives at the Rock & Republic Spring Collection Party on October 18, 2006 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Vince Bucci/Getty Images)

Socialite/actress Paris Hilton and her girlfrind Kim Kardashian attend the Octoberfest to promote the new canned sparkling wine "Rich Prosecco" at the Munich Octoberfest on September 25, 2006 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Thomas Niedermueller/Getty Images)

Kimberly Kardashian poses in the lobby during Olympus Fashion Week in Bryant Park September 12, 2006 in New York City. (Photo by Katy Winn/Getty Images)

Former olympian Bruce Jenner and socialite Kim Kardashian arrives at the 2006 ESPY Awards at the Kodak Theatre on July 12, 2006 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Vince Bucci/Getty Images)

(L-R) Actors Paris Hilton and Kimberly Kardashian attend the premiere of HBO's "Entourage" at the Cinerama Dome on June 1, 2006 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Stephen Shugerman/Getty Images)

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In between all her various endeavors — posting nude selfies, raising three young children, promoting “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” and sidestepping husband Kanye West’s outbursts — the enterprising Kim Kardashian is also working on a new project: becoming a lawyer.

According to a cover profile published Wednesday by Vogue, the 38-year-old Kardashian has begun working on a four-year apprenticeship at a nonprofit prison reform organization in Oakland, with the aim of taking the state bar exam in 2022. She’s pursuing this professional course without having a college degree or going to law school. But California allows people to become practicing lawyers in the state without getting law degrees.

The Vogue profile said Kardashian’s surprising and challenging new pursuit was inspired by securing clemency for Alice Marie Johnson this past summer. Johnson is a 63-year-old woman who was serving a life sentence after being sentenced in 1997 for a nonviolent drug charge.

Kardashian met with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office in May to successfully advocate for Johnson.

Kardashian has since been called upon by the White House to help with the administration’s clemency reform efforts.

“I’m sitting in the Roosevelt Room with, like, a judge who had sentenced criminals and a lot of really powerful people and I just sat there, like, ‘Oh, s—,’ I need to know more,” Kardashian told Vogue

“I just felt like I wanted to be able to fight for people who have paid their dues to society,” she continued. “I just felt like the system could be so different, and I wanted to fight to fix it, and if I knew more, I could do more.”

It’s commendable that Kardashian wants to help improve America’s criminal justice system and to recognize she could gain more knowledge about how the system works. A legal career could be in her genes: Her father, Robert, was a lawyer who was one of the members of O.J. Simpson’s legal “Dream Team.”

Still, studying to become a lawyer and to pass the bar exam is notoriously grueling and time-consuming.

And while Kardashian has built a multimillion-dollar beauty and social media empire, she has never showed much interest in academic pursuits.

Her last diploma came from Marymount High School, an elite Catholic all-girls prep school in Los Angeles. (Its famous alumni include Olivia Jade and Isabella Giannulli, the daughters of disgraced TV actress Lori Loughlin, who has been charged in the college admissions scandal.)

Kardashian also isn’t going to law school.

Her husband sparked headlines in September, when the rapper wrongly said Kardashian was in law school. West talked proudly to “Extra” about his wife’s involvement in prison reform, Harpers Bazaar reported. He also incorrectly said, “My wife is in law school now, and it’s extremely serious to us.”

However, a representative for Kardashian clarified to “Extra” that she wasn’t actually in law school. Instead, the representative said, she “is so entrenched in the legal system with her activism that it is like going to law school.”

With Vogue, Kardashian clarified things some more by saying she wasn’t studying to become a lawyer in a law school. Instead, she said she had begun a four-year apprenticeship this past summer.

According to the State Bar of California, a four-year apprenticeship may suffice for someone seeking to take the bar exam in order to practice law in California.

The bar association, citing educational requirements for attorneys listed in the state Business and Professions Code, said a person can take the bar exam after receiving a J.D. degree or LL.B degree from a law school approved by the American Bar Association. But a person also can take the bar exam after completing four years of law study at a law office or judge’s chambers.

So it sounds as though Kardashian has found a way to become a lawyer without putting in the time to go to college.

Still, it’s hard to imagine how she has time to fly to San Francisco from her mansion near Los Angeles to work on her apprenticeship.

For example, Kardashian’s interview with Vogue took place over a two-day photo shoot at her mansion, and the business mogul no doubt has many other demands on her time. On top of that, Kardashian and West are preparing to welcome their fourth child via surrogate in May. Being a parent to four small children: It doesn’t get any more grueling or time-consuming than that.

But Kardashian’s rise to wealth and international fame has been improbable in many other ways, so it wouldn’t be surprising to one day see her adding attorney-at-law to her long list of job titles.

This story has been updated to reference Oakland location of nonprofit where Kim Kardashian is doing her law apprenticeship.

Martha Ross is a features writer who covers everything and anything related to popular culture, society, health, women’s issues and families. A native of the East Bay and a graduate of Northwestern University and Mills College, she’s also a former hard-news and investigative reporter, covering crime and local politics.

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